Not a major factor during the first hundred laps of Sunday’s race, Hamlin was one of the only cars to hit pit road under the fifth caution of the day on Lap 158. Taking two tires and getting off sequence with the rest of the field, Hamlin was able to get track position and take the lead for the first time on Lap 183 once the leaders came in for service. Able to get back on sequence following a long green-flag run, Hamlin went on to lead three times for 206 laps and looked to make up for his second-place finish to Johnson in the Spring.
A string of cautions at the end threatened to steal the win from Hamlin as the field bunched up for double-file restarts. Yet despite Johnson, Montoya, and Gordon surrounding him, the No. 11 Fed Ex car jumped out to an advantage and was able to hold them off on each one.
“I know all those guys are going to be aggressive and try and get a win,” Hamlin explained after climbing from his Toyota. “We just had the best car there at the end. The 48 didn’t do anything that he shouldn’t have, and made sure he protected his points lead. He gave us a little respect as well.”
It was a bittersweet moment for a man whose own title bid has already slipped away. Despite having strong cars the last two weeks, a self-inflicted wreck at Kansas and an engine issue in Charlotte resulted in two straight DNFs for the first time in his four-year career. Those poor finishes dropped Hamlin to eleventh in the standings and out of contention for the championship.
“It’s a good bounce back,” he said. “I’ve just got to thank all the fans sticking with me on Twitter, and everyone giving me some hope that the last two weeks were in the past.”
Coming home in second place, Johnson extended his lead in the Chase to 118 over teammate Mark Martin, who finished eighth. Leading five times for a total of 164 laps, he had one of the strongest cars but just did not have enough for Hamlin at the finish despite plenty of chances.
"I just lacked a little bit of forward bite,” Johnson explained. “We had it turning, which is hard to make it do here. It was just a little too much. Denny (Hamlin) had the best car there on that last run, and maybe the two runs before that he had the best. I knew at the end of the race that No. 11 car was going to be there and was going to be strong. Congratulations to him. It was a great day for us. I wish we could have won, but second, there's nothing wrong with that.”
Having a car that was beat up in true short track fashion, Juan Pablo Montoya held off a hard-charging Jeff Gordon to score a third-place finish. Racing hard from the start, Montoya was able to work his way from his 21st-place starting spot to the top-10 by Lap 26. But that early aggressiveness seemed to hurt his chances to win late in the race. Wearing out his brakes and battling an ill-handling car, a potential win slipped away as Hamlin and Johnson wound up deciding it amongst themselves.
“We lost our balance there a little bit there right before the long run. We got it a little bit back, but not all back,” he said in notching his fifth top 5 finish in six Chase races to date.
Meanwhile, some hard racing with Jeff Gordon around the 100-lap mark ruffled the feathers of the four-time champion, who was none too happy with the driver of the No. 42. After Montoya bumped his way past Gordon for the fourth spot, Gordon keyed his radio saying, “He has the best car I’ve seen, but he doesn’t know what to do with it.”
Running in the top-5 for much of the first 150 laps, Gordon was mired in traffic when varying pit strategies allowed a number of cars to stay out on Lap 178. Restarting 23rd, Gordon struggled to pass cars and spent the rest of the race fighting his way back to the front. Charging hard during the last two runs of the day, he made his way up to fourth late in the going, but lost a spot to Kyle Busch as the field came to the checkered flag.
“We got way behind at times, and it didn't look like we were going to make our way back to the front,” he said. “But we needed more long runs, and we finally got it -- that long run is what got us back into it. We drove all the way back up to third or fourth. Real happy. Wish we could have won it, but we'll take it.”
Coming home fourth was Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch. Although he has struggled at Martinsville (he has finishes of 38th, 29th, and 24th in his last three starts there), Busch took advantage of a late-race pit stop and two fresh tires to score his first top-5 at Martinsville since 2007.
“Tires were the name of the game,” Busch explained. “We just seemed to be on the right strategy when we could come get tires and drive back through some guys. We had a good enough car to do that with. Glad we came down there with like 15 or 18 to go, whatever it was, and put right sides (tires) on it because that probably gained us about eight spots today. Real proud of the effort.”
Jamie McMurray was sixth (his season-best performance), with Ryan Newman, Martin, Tony Stewart, and Kevin Harvick rounding out the top 10. Joey Logano was the highest-finishing rookie in 12th.
Sunday’s TUMS Fast Relief 500 saw twenty-one lead changes among twelve different drivers and was slowed fifteen times by the yellow flag. With only four races left on the year, the series heads to the high banks of Talladega next week for what many consider the "wild card" race of the Chase.
Point Standings (Top 12)
By Phil Allaway
Jimmie Johnson did not claim victory on Sunday, but he did the next best thing. His second place finish on Sunday, while teammate Mark Martin came home in eighth, allowed him to increase his point lead to 118, a pickup of 28 over the previous week. Try as he might, Martin's Chevy just never had the handling or the overall speed to challenge his major rival.
"We need to pick it up," he said afterwards. "You know, eighths, sevenths, that won't get it right now. But you know what; we gave it everything we had."
Martin's perhaps the only driver remaining capable of catching Johnson should he avoid the dreaded Talladega "Big One." Jeff Gordon held onto to his third spot after a fifth place finish, but he is now 150 points behind and would need a small miracle to climb back in it. Tony Stewart also maintained his fourth position after finishing ninth, but he's 192 back and over a full race's worth of points behind the leader.
Juan Pablo Montoya is up one spot to fifth after a strong run to third on Sunday. However, his run at Charlotte has really killed any championship aspirations, as he's now 200 points behind the Hendrick driver. Montoya's gain in the points came at the expense of Kurt Busch, who simply did not have a good weekend at Martinsville. A bad qualifying effort left him starting 37th, then handling problems hampered the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge all day. An eventual 17th place finish wasn't what the doctor ordered to stay inside the top 5 in points.
Leading off the bottom six Chasers, Ryan Newman is up one place to seventh after a seventh place finish. However, he's 312 points behind Johnson and 112 outside a coveted spot inside the top 5. Greg Biffle is down a spot to eighth after a 25th place finish, one lap down. Biffle was never really in contention, and pit strategy on old tires designed to give him track position instead left him suffering a lap off the pace.
Denny Hamlin's victory moved him up two places to ninth in points, 352 out of the lead and just two points behind Biffle for eighth. Carl Edwards is still tenth after finishing 20th on Sunday. The AFLAC Ford ran better than it finished, but the rear end apparently broke on the car right at the end of the race, causing him to hit the wall and limp it home with less than two laps to go.
If only it were that easy for Kasey Kahne, who slid back down two places to 11th after a terrible day. A pit road speeding penalty, a cut tire that resulted in wall contact, a Free Pass being taken away because he caused a caution, and other issues resulted in a 32nd place finish, six laps back. Last but not least, Brian Vickers brings up the rear of the Chasers, but had a fairly good run to finish 11th -- his first top 15 since Loudon to start the Chase.
As for the battle for "Best of the Rest," Kyle Busch's fourth place finish from 41st at the start allowed him to jump over Matt Kenseth and claim 13th in points. The margin between Busch and Kenseth currently stands at 25, with Clint Bowyer 115 back in 15th.
Tracking the Top 35
For both of the teams battling for the final guaranteed starting spot for the first five races of 2010, Sunday's TUMS Fast Relief 500 was a missed opportunity to pick up a great finish. For Scott Speed and the No. 82 team, they had a chance to snag a top 20, on the lead lap, after running as high as fourth place. Speed had gotten lucky and got a caution to fall before he made his final pit stop while everyone else had pitted under green, leaving him with a lead lap cushion when he was running well outside the top 25.
Following that stop, Speed held on to 16th place. However, the brakes were starting to go on the No. 82 slowly but surely. This ended with a spectacular crash into the wall in turn 1, one where the car simply did not slow down. As a result of that wreck, Speed fell to 31st, unable to finish the race.
As for John Andretti, he had an eventful day to say the least. Qualifying 27th, he ran in the lower third of the field for about the first half of the day. But after getting lapped, he used the wave around to his advantage when Sam Hornish, Jr. crashed on the frontstretch to get back in contention. Then, Andretti was spun out on lap 275 by Kasey Kahne in turn 2... but he stayed on the lead lap. That's when Scott Speed's No. 82 eventually fell back to the pack, and the two raced together for awhile before Andretti dispatched him. Ahead of their rivals, Front Row Motorsports then decided to go off-sequence on their pit strategy from the leaders. After staying out during a yellow flag on Lap 306, Andretti restarted in fifth but dropped like a stone, eventually being lapped by the leaders once again. However, he stabilized around 25th. With the exchange of pit stops under green, Andretti actually moved up to 20th. Unfortunately, that's when he was then spun out by Elliott Sadler... drawing the 12th caution of the afternoon.
Following that spin, Andretti ambled around at the back of the cars one lap down until the last restart. Coming to the white flag, the cars bunched up to avoid the stricken No. 99 of Carl Edwards. Making contact with Paul Menard while trying to avoid the incident, Andretti ended up spinning into the inside wall and drawing the yellow right at the finish. He was eventually scored 26th, two laps down, allowing him to pick up 20 points on Speed (Andretti also led a lap under caution early in the race). That leaves margin at the 118 points with four races to go. However, both the Nos. 34 and 82 gained on the No. 7 of Robby Gordon, who finished 37th after retiring with driveshaft failure. The No. 34 is now only 77 points behind Gordon's No. 7, with Speed a manageable 195 behind.
Secret Star Of The Weekend: The Best Run You Never Saw
Jamie McMurray can't seem to catch a break as of late. His bid for Earnhardt Ganassi's No. 1 car has hit a snag due to sponsorship; apparently, Bass Pro Shops isn't all that keen on hiring a guy that goes hunting about as often as Dave Blaney finishes a race. That leaves his options few and far between for 2010, with Roush/Yates/RPM without a room at the inn and no other funded rides available. To make matters worse, the soon-to-be-reassigned members of the No. 26 team have struggled to keep their motivation up; since McMurray's departure was announced in the summer, they had yet to score a top 10 finish ... until Sunday.
That's when the Crown Royal Ford put on its best performance of the year, with a 1-2 punch of perfect pit strategy and expert handling leaving him towards the front of the pack. Racing forward over a trio of final restarts, the No. 26 was at its best during the final run in moving up to a credible sixth-place finish. "It was a really good day," he said. "We made really good pit calls, and our car was better than average." Now armed with nine career top 10 finishes at the paper clip in 14 career starts, you can bet this place is number one on the list when handing out his resume of accomplishments to interested owners. - Tom Bowles
STAT OF THE WEEK: 1,636. That's the career number of laps led by Denny Hamlin at his two hometown tracks on the Cup circuit: Richmond and Martinsville. That's 48% of his career total of 3,611; add that to his 13 top 10s in 17 career starts at those two ovals, and it's no wonder he wishes the series raced in Virginia every week. - Tom Bowles
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Matt Taliaferro's way at
matt.ta...@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Fanning The Flames returns Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
Big Six: TUMS Fast Relief 500
By Amy Henderson
Who…gets my shoutout of the race?
Sometimes, having something to prove is a powerful motivator. Casey Mears had a top 10 run at Charlotte last Saturday night, and this weekend ,it was the still unsigned-for-2010 Jamie McMurray who grabbed his best finish of the year with a sixth place at Martinsville. McMurray is expected to ink a deal to replace the departing Martin Truex, Jr. at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing for 2010, but has no contract as of yet. Maybe this will push negotiations over the top?
What…was THAT?
I know NASCAR is trying to appease fans with better racing, but not throwing a caution flag on the final lap when John Andretti was sitting smack in the middle of the track at the start/finish line was just ridiculous. Barring catastrophic failure to the No. 11, Denny Hamlin was going to win, and the caution would not have changed that. Sure, great racing is important. But putting a driver’s health in danger to ensure a green-flag finish isn’t good racing at all - it’s foolhardy.
Where…did the polesitter wind up?
Ryan Newman grabbed the pole this week, and had a solid finish to back it up. Newman brought his Army-backed Chevrolet home in seventh place, a run good enough to gain a spot in the point standings to seventh as well. Newman climbed past Greg Biffle, 312 out of the lead and 112 out of the top 5 in points with four races remaining.
When…will I be loved?
David Stremme might have made a point by spinning Martin Truex, Jr. in what certainly looked like a deliberate move on lap 308. That put a dent in the No. 1 team's day, as the yellow never flew after Truex righted his car after a perfect 360. But in the end, he recovered enough to get the last laugh, finishing five spots ahead of Stremme while the Indiana driver was left to simply hum the question above.
Why… is NASCAR so reluctant to reward winning?
On one hand, the point system looks right, as Jimmie Johnson has the lead with a series-high six wins. But while Martinsville winner Denny Hamlin gained two points positions this week, Johnson extended his points margin to an almost-safe 118 with a second-place run. I know Hamlin had two straight DNFs to fall out of contention; but at the very least, why not continue to give the extra ten point bonus that winners enjoy during the first 26 races in the final ten?
How…far out of the points lead is too far with four races to go?
Ask that question a week from now. The great equalizer looms on the horizon in the form of Talladega Superspeedway, and while Jimmie Johnson’s 118-point lead is a decent pad, it could be erased in an instant should Johnson get tangled in the Big One - and Mark Martin could pounce if he can avoid the wrecks himself. Still, everyone from fourth-place Tony Stewart on back have their work cut out for them if they want to win the title, as they all have more than a full race worth of points to make up on Johnson to make a title bid. It would take an epic winning streak on their part and an epic fall on Johnson’s for the title to be decided anywhere but between the top three at this point.
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Martinsville Fall Race Recap
by Matt McLaughlin
Chase Overload Cuts NASCAR Storylines To Pieces
by Tom Bowles
Five Points To Ponder: Chase Race #6 Edition
by Mike Lovecchio
Battered Andretti Somehow Comes Out Swinging In Bubble Battle
by Mike Ravesi
Rookie Logano Survives Martinsville While Speed Is Bit By Bad Luck Again
by Tony Lumbis
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Kroger On Track For The Cure 250
by Tony Lumbis
Tracking The Trucks: Kroger 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:Note: Today's trivia question was provided by Buzztime. Be sure to visit buzztime.com to battle against others in trivia challenges about NASCAR and all of your favorite sports!
Q: At Martinsville on Sunday, teams were constantly making adjustments to cars, either by air pressure or by going up (or down) on either the sway bar or the track bar. But the term "sway bar" is technically a slang term. What is it a slang term for?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a part of the Hulman-George family since late 1945, when Anton Hulman, Jr. bought the racetrack, which was in very rough shape after being abandoned during World War II. Who did Hulman purchase the speedway from?
A: Terre Haute, Indiana-based Tony Hulman purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 from Eddie Rickenbacker, a former racer in the early years of the Indianapolis 500 who was best known as a flying ace during World War I. Later, Rickenbacker was the CEO of Eastern Airlines from its inception to 1959.
Hulman's family business, Hulman & Co., was/is best known for Clabber Girl Baking Powder, which has sponsored teams in the Nationwide Series. Most notably, they backed Stevie Reeves in the mid-1990's and Kyle Krisiloff in the early part of 2007.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to tri...@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View by S.D. Grady
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Talking NASCAR TV by Phil Allaway
This past weekend was the last split one of the season for NASCAR, with the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series in Martinsville while the Nationwide Series was in Memphis. With the ESPN crew stretched to the limit, were both the "A" and "B" teams able to step up with a solid performance? Phil Allaway has a full report.
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
Even in this difficult year, there's nothing that beats a NASCAR road trip with good friends and behind-the-scenes access. Danny tells a personal story of showing some newer fans the ropes at Charlotte a few weeks back, with a lesson for all of us in what's been a trying season at times.
Who's Hot / Who's Not In Sprint Cup: Martinsville Edition by Doug Turnbull
With just four races left on the year, time's running out for any struggling teams to get their act together. Who needs to thaw their icy season before Homestead? Doug lets us know in his weekly look at driver trends in and around the NASCAR circuit.
Running Their Mouth: Tums Fast Relief 500 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Juan Pablo said what about Hendrick rival Jeff Gordon? Beth has the answer, bringing us the best quotes of the past weekend from Martinsville.
Beyond The Cockpit: TBA by TBD
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